CULTIVATION OF LOCAL LEAFY

VEGETABLES - MUKUNUWANNA

A.H.M.U.Abeysekara
Anuradhapura
 INTRODUCTION
• Botanical name - Alternanthera sessilis
• Contain abundant of vitamin , Ca and iron

• Major leafy vegetable which is cultivated in commercial scale

, because
- Easy to obtain planting material
- Nutritious and tasty
- Can be cultivated easily
- Establishment and management is economical
- Continuous harvesting can be done nearly
SOIL AND CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS
• Low country wet zone is most suitable for cultivation
• If irrigation can be facilitated all over the year, this
can be cultivated in any region
• Low lands with better drainage are more suitable for
cultivation (paddy lands)
• Always soil should be in moisturized condition
• Optimum pH value of soil is 6-7 (slightly acidic soil)
 GROWING TYPES
• Can be divided into two types according to growing
pattern
- Vine type
- Bush type
• Vine type
- This type is cultivated commercially
- This can be divided in to several types according to
the shape of leaves and colour of the stem
 GROWING TYPES

Piliyandala type (with elliptical

leaves and light green colour
stem)
- Recommended by DOA
- Known as “Mal mukunuwanna”
- Nodes are short
- High number of leaves in one bundle
 GROWING TYPES

Type with elliptical leaves and

brown and green colour mixed
stem
- In this type , stem may be brown,
green or mixture of both
- Nodes are short
- This type is frequently cultivated in
Arawwala and pannipitiya regions
 GROWING TYPES

Type with long elliptical leaves

and brown or green colour stem
- In this type leaves are large and long
- Nodes are long
- This is the type which can be seen
mostly in the market
 GROWING TYPES

Type with lansiolate leaves and

brown or green colour stem
- Leaves are slim and long
- Nodes are long
- Known as” Weda mukunuwanna”
 GROWING TYPES

Bush type Mukunuwana

- Consist of various colours such as red,
yellowish green
- Mostly cultivated as ornamental plants
- Green colour type is suitable for
consumption
- There are several types known as “Rata
mukunuwanna” with large leaves
- No popular as the taste is lower
 PLANT MATERIAL SELECTION

- Can be propagated by stem cuttings

- 10cm - 12cm long stem cuttings or stem
cuttings more than that longer also can be
used for planting
- Propagation occur by seeds under natural
condition
 LAND PREPARATION

- Highlands or lowlands (paddy fields) are

used for planting of mukunuwanna
Cultivation in low lands
- Ploughing is done and weeds are allowed to
decompose
- Then harrowing and leveling is done
- It is rehired to prepare shallow drains to
ensure drainage
- Stem cuttings can be planted or broadcasted
 Broadcasting of stem cuttings
- Water in the field should be removed
- Before drying the mud, stem cuttings should be
broadcasted as a layer
- A soil layer should be put so as to cover the stem
cutting layer or use a Mammoty and push the stem
cutting layer to the soil
- If there is a dry climate, cuttings have to be covered by
cadjans from 3-4 days
 Cultivation in highlands
- Sunken beds should be prepared
- Small drains should be prepared
Planting
- Stem cuttings can be planted to a suitable
spacing or randomly
- The distance between two rows should be 20 cm
and the distance between two stem cuttings
within one row should be 10 cm
- After planting of stem cuttings , they should be
covered by cadjans from 3-4 days and watering
should be done
 IRRIGATION
- Since the day of planting, continuously
water should be supplied to keep the
top soil layer in moisturized condition
- Water can be sprayed or allowed to
flow to beds
- No need to provide water frequently
for lowlands due to its water holding
capacity
- But, for highlands it is required to
irrigate frequently
 FERTILIZATION
- Both organic and chemical fertilizer can be used
 Organic fertilizer
- In commercial scale, mostly poultry manure is
used as organic fertilizer
- Nematode damage can be reduced by poultry
manure
- 10 t/ha is required
- Poultry manure can be applied once in 4-6 months
 FERTILIZATION
Basal dressing (for an extent of 1000m2)
Urea – 9 kg
Con.SP – 13.5kg
MOP – 10kg

Top dressing (for an extent of 1000m2)

- 2-3 days after getting the first harvest, 9 kg of urea should be
applied
- Then , after getting each harvest 5.5 kg of urea and 1.5 kg of MOP
should be applied
- Once in every 06 months , 6.5kg of con.Super Phosphate should
be applied
 WEED CONTROL

- weeds should be controlled at the

time of land preparation
- After planting of stem cutting or
broadcasting , weeds should be
removed in the field
 DISEASES IN MUKUNUWANNA
CULTIVATION
 Brown spot disease
- Caused by cercospora fungi
- Reddish brown spots on leaves
can be seen
- They spread all over the leaf ,
leaves become brownish , then
defoliate
- Symptoms can be seen more on
matured leaves
 White rust disease
- Caused by fungi albugo
- White colour spots can be seen
underside of the leaves
- When the disease is critical ,
powdery like fungi spores can
be seen
- Base of the stem and internodal
areas become swollen in
diseased plants
 Control of White rust disease
- Avoid water logging condition on beds
- Diseased plants should be removed and
destroyed
- Application of K containing fertilizer
- Do not use more N containing fertilizer
- Immediate harvesting
- Crop rotation
- Application of fungicide
Mancoseb, maneb, Daconil (2g /1l of water)
 PEST DAMAGES IN MUKUNUWANNA
CULTIVATION
 Leaf rolling caterpillar
- Rolling leaves, living inside
and eating tissues done
by larval stage
 PEST DAMAGES IN MUKUNUWANNA
CULTIVATION
Leaf eating worms
- Worms feed on foliage
 PEST DAMAGES IN MUKUNUWANNA
CULTIVATION
Leaf eating small
beetle
- Beetles feed on foliage

Leaf eating lady bug

- These beetles feed
on the foliage and
only the midribs are
remained
 Aphids
- Aphids suck the sap
- Damaged leaf margins
become wrinkled
nature
 Thrips
- Thrips suck the sap
- Damaged leaf
margins are rolled
underside
 Red mites
- Live underside of the leaves and suck the sap
- First yellow colour spots are formed and then
leaves become yellowing
- Leaves become brownish and die
 Nematodes
- Infested plants show reduction of growth and leaves
become yellowing
- Root nodes can be identified
- Usage of healthy planting materials, incorporate of
poultry manure, crop rotation are important to
minimize nematode infection
- Amaranthus is suitable for crop rotation
 HARVESTING

- First harvest can be obtained 4

weeks after planting
- Watering should be done before
harvesting
- Harvesting in morning is suitable
- After getting the first harvest,
harvesting can be done once in
3-4 weeks
- If harvesting is delayed more
than 4 weeks, quality is declined
 HARVESTING

- At the early stage harvest is low. then

harvest is gradually increasing and
again after 2 years harvest is declining
(Crop rotation should be done)
- Harvest should be prepared as bundles
- Bundles should be wrapped by wet
sacks and packed in net bags to send
them to the market
- 1000-1200 kg of harvest /1000m2
(within 01 year)
- 8-10 picks /one year
THANK YOU
 Select this paragraph to edit
- As soon as poultry manure is applied, water
should be added. Why?
- Farmers do not use cow dung as organic
manure. Why?